Time-controlled system



1937. E. s. OSTLER TIME CONTROLLED SYSTEM Filed Aug. 23, 1934 Patented Oct. 12, 1937 2,095,829

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE TIME-CONTROLLED SYSTEM Ernest S. Ostler, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to Stromberg Electric Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application August 23, 1934, Serial No. 741,030 22 Claims. (CI. 58-24) The present invention relates in general to chronological position and is permitted to ad corrective time-controlled systems and more par- Vance only at the termination of the synchroticularly to a synchronizing arrangement for a. nizing signal. system or" this type in which secondary appa- According to another feature of the invention,

ratus, such as clocks, recorders and time stamps, both corrective and non-corrective secondary ap- 5 are operated or controlled by impulses transparatus may be Operated from the Same Control mitted from a primary or master clock. The circuit from the master clock. This is possible main object of the invention is to provide imsince no fast impulses are transmitted over the proved means for periodically synchronizing the circuit. The synchronizing signal is received by secondary apparatus with the master clock. the non-corrective apparatus as a regular min- 10 In the known minute impulse corrective sysute impulse. terns, slow secondary apparatus is rapidly ad- The above and other novel features of the invanced by fast accelerating impulses transmitted v n ion not specifically mentioned will best be periodically, such as once an hour, by the master understood from a perusal of the following speciclock. Other systems use a mechanical synchrofication when read in connection with the accom- 15 nizing arrangement in which the hands of sec- De yin aw comprising one figu e y, ondary clocks are mechanically moved to the which ShOWS, y means (if the Usual Schematic correct time in response to a special impulse diagram, a time-controlled SySte e b y from the master clock. The later scheme, how e es of the present invention ever, is practical only with secondary clock sys- Referring to the drawing in d the COII- tems and cannot readily be employed where s ll t h OWn Comprises master apparatus M,

type wheels of recorders or time stamps are cor ct e Se d y app S2 and the to be synchronized. normal advance and correction of which is con- The fast impulses used to advance rapidly slow l d y t master apparatus, and

secondary apparatus in systems of the first-mene co y ppa a the adv n e 0f tioned type are usually initiated by contacts on Wh s Controlled y t master pp the escapement or verge of the master clock or by The master apparatus shown comprises cam pendulum contacts. It is well known that to means I, on the minute a for pe od a y secure accuracy in a master clock, the load on Clo n a Circuit through Contacts 2 and 3 (Ordithe same must be reduced as much as possible. narily once per minut for a l tiv ly hort 30 Seconds contacts must necessarily be operated time (for a p One SeeOhd) for Controlling at the Weakest part of the clock movement and the normal advance of both corrective and non therefore interfere most with the timekeeping C r ective Se da y apparatus, Cam means qualities of the clock. The effect of minute or On t e ho h for periodically Closing the 5 hourly contacts is greatly minimized by the in circuit through contacts 5 and 6 (ordinarily once termediate gear reduction. per hour) for a relatively long time (for example,

In view of the foregoing, one of the most imninety seconds) for effecting correction of the portant features of the present invention is the Co e tive Sec n pp and a ay 1 elimination of the fast contacts in the master c n ro d y h f said circuit closing means,

clock, thereby greatly increasing its accuracy f r C nt o ling the contacts 8 and 9, which con- 40 and improving its timekeeping qualities. trol the circuit to, H, between the master ap- According to another feature of the invention, para us a d t e S a y appeleituSes. the rapid accelerating impulses heretofore trans- The long-closed period may, for example, be

mitted bythe master clock to advance slow seefrom 58 minutes and 15 seconds after the hour 5 ondary apparatus are generated within the seeuntil 59 minutes and seconds after the hour. 45 ondary apparatus itself in response to a synchro- This long-closing period will thus include one nizing' signal from the master clock. and one only of the short-closing periods. The The foregoing features of the invention pereffect of this is that the relay will be closed at mit the use of a master clock with only two conintervals of one minute up to and through the 0 tacts, the regular minute impulse contacts and fifty-eighth minute by master apparatus time; an hourly synchronizing impulse contact, which that it will be held closed for 90 seconds from 58 is a further desirable feature of the invention. minutes and 15 seconds after the hour until 59 Another feature of the invention resides in the minutes and 45 seconds after the hour, and that manner in which each secondary apparatus is it will thereafter be again closed for a short stopped each time it reaches a predetermined period at the end of the sixtieth minute. 55

' to cool off as a result of the action of the heattact l9.

' breaking of contact with respect to the COIL-j The non-corrective secondary apparatus S may be of anyrusual or suitable type comprising an electromagnet l2 controlled by the relay circuit lo, M, the armature I3 of which carries a pawl M which operates a ratchet wheel l5 on the secondary apparatus. Eachrtime the electromagnet is energized, it attracts the armature, withdrawing the pawl to cause it to; engage a new tooth of the ratchet wheel. When the electromagnet i2 is de-energized, the spring l6 effects the withdrawal of .the armature to advance the ratchet wheel l5 of'the secondary apparatus.

a Each of the corrective secondary apparatus S S ,'and S comprises elements l2, l3, l4, l5 and It, similar to those of the non -corrective secondary apparatus and, in addition, means for temporarily suspending the operation of any sec ondary apparatus which may be fast (after the fifty-eighth minute period of the particular. sec; ondary apparatus), and means operative during the long-closed period of the relay circuit for rapidly advancing any secondary apparatus which may be slow. t

.The rapid advance of slow secondary apparatus q during the long-closed period. of the relay cir-.

cult is effected by means of 1a delayed-action heatresponsive element ll which is caused to oscillate slowly back and forth during the long-closed period by the action of an electrical heating element' is which is alternately'heated and allowed responsive element ll itself.

The delayed-action heat-responsive element l1 maybe a bi-metallic elementcarrying contacts for engagement and disengagement with respect to the contacts I9 and 20, respectively, and having its flexing movement so designed that the short-time closing periods of the relay circuit will have no effecton the heat-responsive element but so that the long-time closing period of the relay circuit will cause a repeated periodic move- 'ment back and forth of the heat-responsive ele- 'ment ii to successively make and break contact with respect to the contacts l9 and repeat-.

edly during the entire long-closed period. ,-.This

periodic. oscillation of the heat-responsive ele-- ment H is effected by the automatic opening and closing of the circuit for the heating coil l8.

This automatic opening and closing is eifected by the action of the heat-responsive element it-v self. As it flexes to the left under the influence of the heating coil l8, it breaks the circuit for this heating coil by moving away from the con tact E9. The heating action of 'the'heating element l8; however, will continue to affect the heat-responsive element IT to a sufiicient extent tobring it into engagement with the'contact 2B, the'effect of which will be explained hereinafter.

Soon, hcweven'the heating coil l8 beginsto cool 01f, resulting in a cooling off in the heat-responsive.

element Ill and a flexing to the right to re establish the circuit for the heating coil when the heat-responsive element ll engages the con- This periodic oscillation of the heatresponsive element and the periodic making and tacts l9 and 20 continues during the entire longclosed period of the relay circuit.

The means for suspending operation of any fast secondary apparatus, Which'is governed by the chronological condition of the secondary apparatus itself, is .controllediby a cam 24 on the shaft 2?. of the secondary apparatus which, at

' thermostatic from the contact member 24, thus breaking the normal circuit of the electromagnet IE but not,- however, breaking the normal circuit of the electrical heating element it.

In order to place the secondary apparatus again in condition to be advanced when the normal long-closing period. This auxiliary circuit means must 'also be sodesigned as to prevent the rapid impulses generated within the secondary appara tus itself by the action of the electric heating coil l8 from causing advance movement of the secondary apparatus. To accomplish these results, the auxiliary circuit, prepared when the contact is moved, comprises a contact 25 engaged by the lifted contact 23, the aforementioned contact 2G engagea-ble bythe delayed-action heatresponsive device ii, and a locking contact 26 a for engagement with a contact 21 on the armature 53 of the electromagnet l2 whereby when the electromagneticis energized, its armature will be held in attracted position until the termination of the long-closed period of the relay circuit.

When the cam 2! has lifted the'contact 23 into engagement with the contact 25, the next engagement of the heat-responsive element l? with the contact Ell will cause the energization of the electromagnet i2 andthe' attraction of its armature l3 and the holding of the armature in attracted position until thetermination of the longclosed period of the relay circuit.

Having described the design and operation of the corrective apparatus in a general way, I will now summarize in detail the operation in the three possible conditions of the secondary apparatus, exemplified in S S and S Contacts 2 and 3 of the master clock M are closed for aperiod of about one second, once each minutaby a cam l on the minute arbor of the-clock in the well known manner. The

closing of these contacts completes an obvious circuit from the current source to the relay 7. i

Relay l operatesand closes its contacts 8 and 9, thereby completing a circuit from one side of the current source, through contacts 3 and operating magnet R2 of the secondary apparatus S ,-cam contact'springs 23 and 2t, and contact is of the thermostatic contactor l? to the other side of the current source. A'parallel circuit extends through 'the heating coil l8 oi the contactor. Similar circuits are completed through'the other secondary apparatuses S? and S The operating magnets i2 of the secondary apparatuses are momentarily ener gized by each impulse over the above circuits and, "upon releasing, advance the secondary apparatuses one step. The, contact 25 of the secondary apparatus S is engaged by the contact 2'! each time the magnet operates but this produces no eifect at this time. 'The normal impulses are not of suificient duration to heat the coil is of the thermostatic contactor sufficiently to cause'the metal strip to be deflected.

When a secondary apparatus such as S betcomes fast and reaches position 53, the disc cam 25 operates the contact spring 23; opening contact 2 1 and closing contact 25. This opens the circuit of the operating magnet, the impulses thereafter passing only through the heat coil I8 of the thermostatic contactor.

Shortly after the master clock has passed position 58, contacts and 6 are closed by the cam 4 which may be located on the hour shaft in known manner. The cam is designed to maintain contacts 5 and 6 closed for a relatively long time, for example, one and one-half minutes, from 58 minutes and 15 seconds to 59 minutes and 45 seconds. Since contacts 5 and 6 are in multiple with contacts 2 and 3, this cancels the regular minute impulse which would normally be sent out when the master clock reached position 59.

The sustained impulse or synchronizing signal sent out by the master clock in the above manner controls the secondary apparatus in a manner dependent upon their chronological position. Considering, first, the slow secondary apparatus the magnet I2 will be operated in the circuit previously traced. Heat coil I8 will receive current long enough so that the bimetallic strip I1 is deflected, opening contact I9 and closing contact 29. The opening of contact I9 opens the circuit of the magnet I2, allowing it to release and advance the secondary apparatus one step. Contact I9 also opens the circuit of the heat coil I8, allowing the strip I! to cool and again close contact I9. This again completes the circuit of the operating magnet and the heat coil, and the operation is repeated. In this manner, rapid accelerating impulses are generated within the slow secondary apparatus and such apparatus is rapidly advanced during the synchronizing period.

When the secondary apparatus S has reached position 58 under control of the self-generated impulses, the cam 2I operates spring 23 to break its contact with spring 24 and to make contact with spring 25. Magnet I2 is now energized through contact 20 of the thermostatic contactor and is held energized through its own armature spring contact 26 and contact springs 25 and 23. The thermostatic contactor I I continues its intermittent operation but without effect since the operating magnet I2 is now held energized over its locking circuit.

Since the secondary apparatus S was on time or in synchronism with the master clock, its cam 2! opened contact 24 and closed contact 25 when it moved into position 58. Also, secondary apparatus S was fast and has, therefore, been previously stopped in the manner heretofore pointed out. When the long impulse or synchronizing signal is received by S and S the thermostatic contactors I! respond and complete circuits for the operating magnets I2 in a manner similar to that just explained for S These magnets are then held energized in locking circuits completed over their armature spring contacts 26 and 21. Thereafter, the intermittent operation of the thermostatic contactors is without effect.

In the non-corrective secondary apparatus S, the magnet I2 is energized by the long impu se and this long impulse takes the place of the regular impulse S would have received in position 59 of the master clock.

All the secondary apparatuses are now in position 58 and the magnets thereof are held energized by the synchronizing signal. In the assumed case, the long impulse terminates when the master clock reaches 59 minutes and 45 seconds. When the line circuit is opened by relay I, the operating magnets I2 of all the secondary apparatuses are deenergized and advance the apparatuses one step into position 59. When the master clock reaches position 60, a regular impulse is sent out by contacts 2 and 3 (contacts 5 and 6 now being open) and the secondary apparatuses are all advanced to position 60 and into synchronism with the master clock.

It is to be understood that the closing of contacts 5 and 6 and the sending of the synchronizing signal may occur at any time during the hour cycle and the length of the signal may be varied, the time of 58 minutes and 15 seconds to 59 minutes and 45 seconds having been chosen merely for the purpose of illustration. Allowing five seconds for a complete cycle of operation for the thermostatic contactors, this assumed synchronizing period would take care of secondary apparatus which was as much as eighteen minutes slow.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, an impulse magnet for effecting all advancing movements of said apparatus, means controlled by the chronological condition of said apparatus for opening the circuit of said magnet, and means including a delayed response device responsive only to a prolonged impulse for completing an auxiliary circuit for said magnet.

2. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, means for advancing said apparatus step by step responsive to current impulses, circuit-controlling means for suspending advance of said apparatus in a predetermined position in case it is too fast, and means including a devic responsive only to a current impulse of prolonged duration, for again permitting continued normal advance of said apparatus at the termination of said prolonged impulse.

3. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, an impulse magnet for efiecting all advancing movements of said apparatus responsive to received impulses, means for suspending advance of said apparatus in a predetermined position in case it is too' fast, and means in said apparatus responsive to a received impulse of prolonged duration for automatically controlling said impulse magnet to rapidly advance said apparatus in case it is too 7 slow.

4. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, an impulse magnet for efiecting all advancing movements of said apparatus under control of impulses received thereby, and circuit-controlling means responsive to an impulse of prolonged duration for holding said magnet energized in case said apparatus is on time and for intermittently energizing said magnet to rapidly advance said apparatus in case said apparatus is slow.

5. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, an impulse magnet for controlling the step-by-step advance of said apparatus, and means within said secondary apparatus responsive to a received synchronizing impulse for generating rapid accelerating impulses to effect rapid advance of said apparatus by said impulsemagnet in case said apparatus'is:

slow.

6. In a secondary apparatus for usegin a corrective time-controlled system, operating means 1 for said apparatus, a normal operating circuit over which said operating meansis controlled by impulses of shortduratiorrto effect normal advance of said apparatus, means controlled by the chronological condition of 'said apparatus for opening said operating circuit and forpreparin'g an auxiliary control circuit for said operating means, and means includinga delayed response device responsive only to a prolonged impulse for completing said auxiliary control circuit.

'7. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, means for nor.-

.mally advancing said apparatus step by :stepv under the'control 'of'received impulses of short.

duration, means for periodically rendering said first means inoperative, and means including circuit-controlling means responsive only to an impulselof prolonged'du'ration for again permitting advance of said apparatus. by said first means for periodically rendering said first means in-t operative, and means responsive only to anim controlling said first means to rapidly advance.

at the termination of said prolonged impulse.

8.'In,'a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time controlled system, means for normally advancing said apparatus under the control of received impulses of short duration, means pulse oi prolonged duration for automatically said apparatus in case it is slow and. for'rendering said second means ineffective to perform its function of rendering said first means inoperative. 1

in case it is lagging behindsaid master apparatus.

10. In a corrective time-controlled system wherein secondary apparatus is normally operated by impulses of short duration transmitted from a master apparatus, means in said master apparatus for periodically transmitting a synchronizing impulse of prolonged duration to said secondary apparatus, means in each secondary apparatus for periodically suspending operation of said apparatus in a predetermined position,

and means in each secondary apparatus responsive only to said synchronizing impulse for caus ing the rapid operation of said secondary apparatus to said predetermined position in case its operation has not been suspended and for reinitiating the operation of said secondary apparatus at the termination of said synchronizing impulse V 11.1n a time-controlled system comprising master apparatus, corrective secondary apparatus and non-corrective secondary apparatus, means said master apparatus for transmitting'normal operating impulses and for periodically transmitting a'distinctive' synchronizing impulse to said secondary apparatuses, means in each secondary-apparatus responsive to said normal impulses-for advancing the associated apparatus step-by-step, and means in each corrective secondary apparatus responsiveto said synchronizing impulse for causing rapid step-.by-step ad- "Vance of the associated apparatus in' case it is slow, said synchronizing impulse causing said non-corrective secondary apparatus to advance one normal step.

12. In a time-controlled system comprising master apparatus, corrective secondary apparatus and non-corrective secondary apparatus, means in said master apparatus for transmitting normal operating impulses and for periodically transmitting a distinctive synchronizing impulse to said secondary apparatuses, means in said noncorrective secondary apparatus responsive both to normal impulses and to said synchronizing impulse for advancing said apparatus step by step, and means in said corrective secondary ap paratus responsive to said normal impulses for advancing'said apparatus step by step and responsive to said synchronizing impulse for bringing said apparatus into synchronism with said master apparatus in case it is either slow or fast.

13. In a step-by-step, impulse operated secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, means for preventing advance of said apparatus in a predetermined position when fast, and means including a delayed response device responsive only to an impulse of abnormal duration and a circuit-controlling device controlled thereby for rendering said first means ineffective to prevent advance'of saidapparatus.

14. In a time controlled system in which stepby-step secondary apparatus is controlled over an operating circuit by impulses transmitted from a master apparatua'means'for periodically synchronizing said secondary apparatus with said master apparatus, said means including a delayed response device responsive only to an impulse of abnormalduration transmitted over said operating circuit and a circuit-controllingdevice in 'said operating circuit controlledby said delayed response device.

15. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time-controlled system, an impulse magnet for efiecting all advancing movements of said apparatus, means controlled by the chronological condition of said apparatus for opening the circuit of said magnet, and means including a delayed response device for completing an auxiliary circuit for said magnet, said delayed response device comprising an electric heating element and a heat-responsive element controlled by said heating element.

7 16. A corrective time-controlled system comprising master apparatus and corrective secondary time controlled apparatuasaid master apparatus comprising means for periodically closing a circuit'for a relatively short time for controlling the normal advance of the secondary apparatus and means for periodically closing said circuit for a relatively long time for effecting correction of the secondary apparatus, *said corrective secondary apparatus comprising electromagnetic means included in said circuit for controlling the advance movement of said secondary apparatus, and corrective means for effecting rapid opening and closing of said circuit responsive to said long-time circuit-closing means but non-responsive to said short-time circuitclosing means.

1'7. A corrective time-controlled system com prising master apparatus and corrective secondary time-controlled apparatus connected by a control circuit, said master apparatuscompria ing means for periodically closing said circuit for a relatively short time for controlling the normal advance of the secondary apparatus and means for periodically closing said circuit for a relatively long time for efiecting correction of the secondary apparatus, said secondary apparatus comprising electromagnetic means for controlling the advance movement of said secondary apparatus, a normal circuit and an auxiliary circuit for said electromagnetic means, corrective means for effecting rapid opening and closing of said normal circuit responsive to said long-time circuit-closing means but non-responsive to said short-time circuit-closing means, and means controlled by the chronological condition of said secondary apparatus for periodically opening said normal circuit of said electromagnetic means to prevent further movement of said secondary apparatus.

18. A corrective time-controlled system comprising master apparatus and corrective secondary time-controlled apparatus connected by a control circuit, said master apparatus comprising means for periodically closing said control circuit for a relatively short time for controlling the normal advance of the secondary apparatus and means for periodically closing said control circuit for a relatively long time for effecting correction of the secondary apparatus, said secondary apparatus comprising electromagnetic means for controlling the advance movement of said secondary apparatus, a normal circuit and an auxiliar circuit for said electromagnetic means, corrective means for effecting rapid opening and closing of said normal circuit responsive to said long-time circuit-closing means but non-responsive to said short-time circuit-closing means, means controlled by the chronological condition of said secondary apparatus for periodically opening said normal circuit to prevent further movement of said secondary apparatus, and means including said auxiliary circuit for permitting continued normal advance of said secondary apparatus after its advancing movement has been prevented.

19. A corrective time-controlled system comprising master apparatus and corrective secondary time-controlled apparatus connected by a control circuit, said master apparatus comprising means for periodically closing said control circuit for a relatively short time for controlling the normal advance of the secondary apparatus and means for periodically closing said control circuit for a relatively long time for eifecting correction of the secondary apparatus, said secondary apparatus comprising electromagnetic means for controlling the advance movement of said secondary apparatus, a normal circuit for said electromagnetic means, corrective means for efiecting rapid opening and closing of said normal circuit responsive to said long-time circuit-closing means but non-responsive to said short-time circuit-closing means, means controlled by the chronological condition of said secondary apparatus for periodically opening said normal circuit to prevent further movement of said secondary apparatus, and means for permitting continued normal advance of said secondary apparatus after its advancing movement has been prevented, including an auxiliary circuit for causing energization of said electromagnetic means controlled by the chronological condition of said secondary apparatus and by said rapid circuit-opening and closing means.

20. A corrective time-controlled system comprising master apparatus and corrective secondary time-controlled apparatus connected by a control circuit, said master apparatus comprising means for periodically closing said control circuit for a relatively short time for controlling the normal advance of the secondary apparatus, and means for periodically closing said control circuit for a relatively long time for efiecting correction of the secondary apparatus, said corrective secondary apparatus comprising electromagnetic means for controlling the advance movement of said secondary apparatus, a normal circuit for said electromagnetic means, means for effecting rapid opening and closing of said normal circuit responsive to said long-time circuit-closing means but non-responsive to said short-time circuit-closing means, means controlled by the chronological condition of said secondary apparatus for periodically opening said normal circuit to prevent further movement of said secondary apparatus, and means for permitting continued normal advance of said secondary apparatus after its advancing movement has been prevented comprising an auxiliary circuit for causing energization of said electromagnetic means and a stick circuit for said electromagnetic means for holding said electromagnetic means energized during said long-time circuit-closing period.

21. In a secondary apparatus for use in a corrective time controlled system, an impulse magnet responsive to received impulses of short duration for normally advancing said apparatus step-bystep, and means responsive to a received impulse of longer duration for controlling said impulse magnet to effect correction of said apparatus irrespective of its fast or slow condition.

22. In a corrective time controlled system, master apparatus and secondary apparatus connected by a control circuit, means in said master apparatus for regularly and periodically closing said circuit for a relatively short time, means in said master apparatus for regularly and periodically closing said circuit for a relatively long time, means in said secondary apparatus responsive to the closures of said circuit by said first means for effecting its normal operation, and means in said secondary apparatus for effecting correction thereof if said secondary apparatus is slow r sponsive to the closure of said circuit by said second means.

ERNEST S. OS'ILER. 

